Enjoying the Calm Before the Storm

Day 296  |  Norman's Cay

Eerie was the operative word this morning. The sun rose with colors of pink high over a dense cloud bank on the horizon. Then a light fog settled in muting all the vibrant blues. There was no breeze and the water was like glass. In a few hours it had cleared off, the water was once again a crystal blue, and we relocated to a spot closer to shore and a bit more protected from pending wind. Anchoring is a whole lot easier when you can see it hit the bottom. We lowered the dinghy and took off exploring. We traveled close to a little visible wreckage of Pablo Escobar's infamous plane. There were two catamarans anchored nearby and several snorkelers in the water. It is possible to be too close to your subject. This Google image shows what the area looks like from high above.

We passed by some mini-islands, checked out another anchorage for future reference, and a marina under construction. We beached the dinghy and took a stroll along the sand. Footprints of prior visitors were the only things that could "ruin" this shot. I drove us back to Crossroads and eased the dinghy gently up to the swim platform. I just need more opportunities to practice.

From the back of Crossroads we both hopped in the water and swam around for a while. Barry put on his snorkel gear and examined our propellers and zincs. We have a little bit of slime accumulation, but nothing bad. There was a little current running through the anchorage so we tossed an old dockline in for extra security. After quick showers to wash off the saltwater, we met Melissa and Jeff (Flip Flop) at McDuff's for a 1:30 lunch of delicious conch and fish sandwiches. We all had one half of each. Following lunch we walked out back to the airport and spotted the island's welcome sign.

We got back home close to 4:00. I tried to do a little reading on the bow, but mainly just stared at the water. We put the dinghy back on the upper deck and secured everything we could think of for the impending blow. As night fell, the air seemed heavy and unsettled in the eerie silence of anticipation. Hopefully things will come to pass as predicted, without too much more worrying, and we will soon be enjoying a few days of sunshine. Then we'll start planning where to ride out the next approaching front.